TESTING donation page
2023 Youth Conference Media Contest!
The Youth Conference Media Contest supports our annual Discovering Sustainability Youth Conference by connecting students attending the conference with their peers in the city and audiences online! Whether you’d like to show off a recent harvest, or give us a tour of your hydroponic classroom, we want to see and share what you love about sustainability and climate science! Submit your entries via Instagram and Twitter, making sure to include our handle @NYSunWorks and hashtag #nysunworks. We can accept any form of digital or physical media, including written poems or haikus, videos or presentations, and photos of plants, systems, or even selfies.
By submitting your entry to our contest, you give us permission to share your content on social media, and on the big screen at the Youth Conference. Winners will be announced after the conference, with more information on prizes to come!
- Only schools attending this year’s Youth Conference are eligible to participate
- Entries must include both our hashtag and social media handle to be counted
- Entries should be submitted before Monday, May 22nd in preparation for the Conference itself
For questions and more information, contact Jake Bronstein, Social Media and Communications Coordinator.
Blah
50 New Hydroponic Labs to Finish Construction This Summer!
With the end of the school year on the horizon, NY Sun Works has big plans for the coming summer, making good use of the time students spend enjoying their well-earned vacation. With funding secured by Senate Majority Leader and NY Senator Chuck Schumer, as well as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representatives Hakeem Jeffries, Ritchie Torres, and Yvette Clarke, we’re bringing our program to thousands of students and future farmer-scientists with 50 new partner schools in Brooklyn and the South Bronx. If you know of a school in Congressional Districts 8, 9, or 15 that would be interested in and benefit from receiving a NY Sun Works hydroponic program through this funding, please let us know.
As we continue expanding our program through large, targeted investments like these, it’s important we consider who our efforts will impact, and the context in which we invest in New York’s communities. While climate literacy and resiliency efforts could use improvement across the board, underserved neighborhoods, particularly those of color, have a significantly greater need for these types of services. Not only are Black and Brown communities frequently excluded from climate and sustainability programs, but quality STEM education is also more challenging to access for those who live and learn therein. Almost all of the 50+ schools joining the NY Sun Works community are located in areas of high need, with some areas facing a severe discrepancy as high as 22 percentage points above the citywide average of 71% on the Student Economic Need Index. Through these new partnerships, we want to introduce new opportunities for learning, growing fresh food, and building community connections all while addressing the ever-pressing issue of global climate change.
New York is at the forefront of the world’s growing urban centers and should set an example for other cities both nationally and abroad in tackling the important issues of today. The Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice recently released its Strategic Climate Plan, reaffirming our city’s commitment to implementing sustainability at all levels. It’s up to all of us as residents and representatives of our communities to embody sustainable values and be the change we want to see in the world. And together, with support from our political leaders and the hard work of communities around the city, we can build a brighter, greener future.
Blah
Climate Science on Coney Island with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
“You will be the future sustainable scientists, environmentalists, urban farmers, and climate change activists and leaders that we need for our country, and for our world.”
-Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, addressing farmer-scientists at Rachel Carson High School and IS 303 Herbert S. Eisenberg.
We’re making great strides toward a greener, more sustainable NYC this April thanks to generous funding from Minority Leader and Congressional Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Together, we’re building a pipeline of sustainability and climate science education, giving students the opportunity to learn about our planet and urban farming throughout all of their years in school. With the opening of 12 new hydroponic labs in NY-08, Rep. Jeffries and NY Sun Works will be providing these opportunities for students in Brooklyn, from Bed-Stuy to Brighton Beach.
Last year, Rep. Jeffries was introduced to our program at PS 158 The Warwick Community School, where he saw how our program helps students grow healthy veggies and aromatic herbs from seed to harvest right in their classroom, all while learning the sustainability science behind the issues facing our planet’s climate and how their communities can help. While we were excited to share the many boons of our program, we also knew that together we could achieve more. This April, Rep. Jeffries returned to NY Sun Works partner classrooms at IS 303 Herbert S. Eisenberg and Rachel Carson High School for Coastal Studies, to announce funding for 12 new hydroponic labs in Brooklyn public schools.
Through this Brooklyn-focused expansion, we want to strengthen the ties between new and existing partner schools, creating a network of sustainability-minded educators and students who can learn and grow together in NY-08. While building new hydroponic farm classrooms for schools makes a substantial difference in their communities, providing students who love plants, science, and the environment with a safe place to pursue their passions can make a substantial difference in the lives of individual learners. Students engaged in our program have better academic outcomes and higher attendance rates, meaning that even if STEM is not their passion, having a consistent reason to invest in coming to school helps them achieve whatever their academic or professional goals may be.
Connecting students to both their local community and to a brighter future is of paramount importance to our mission of building a sustainable New York. In encouraging farmer-scientists to tackle the sustainability challenges of today, we want them to feel empowered to take action, follow their passions, and be the change they wish to see. New York has long offered opportunities like these to well-connected schools in select neighborhoods, but with the help of Rep. Jeffries, we’re opening new doors to professional and academic opportunities for students who may historically have faced more barriers to entry. Like the veggies and greens growing in classrooms at this very moment, we want students to grow to reach their full potential and do so while feeling safe, supported, and hopeful about their futures.
Click here for more information on how we’re keeping it green with reporting by News 12.
Blah
VERTICAL FARM DAILY: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Partners with NY Sun Works to Bring Climate Education to Coney Island Schools
Brooklyn students at select schools will be seeing a lot more green on their campuses, as one congressman joined kids at a Coney Island school to present funds for teaching students about urban farming and planting. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries was at Rachel Carson High School to present $500,000 in federal money to New York Sun Works, the organization providing the hydroponic farms to the schools.
Blah
NYCFoodPolicy: A Non-Profit Paves the Way for Sustainable Indoor Urban Farming in New York City: NY Sun Works
New York Sun Works is a non-profit that builds state-of-the-art hydroponic labs in New York City schools. Their sustainability science and climate education program combines indoor farming with classroom instruction in order to engage children in grades K through 12 in hands-on learning while growing hundreds of pounds of vegetables year round.
Blah
Raise Your Voice, Cast Your Vote!
New Yorkers, it’s time to get out and vote! In select city council districts, voting for participatory budgeting is open until April 2nd, and NY Sun Works is on the ballot. Residents of the city age 11 and up are eligible to help allocate $1.5 million toward local community projects, with some districts placing a special focus on climate justice initiatives this year. Everyone of age who lives or goes to school in a participating district is eligible to vote, regardless of citizenship or voter registration status, so please spread the word.
NY Sun Works Hydroponic Classrooms are on the ballot in the following City Council Districts:
District 25: PS 89Q The Jose Peralta School of Dreamers
District 33: Dock Street School and Brooklyn Frontiers High School
District 36: LAUNCH Charter School
District 39: PS 130 The Parkside School and PS 118 The Maurice Sendak Community School
Participatory budgeting is a unique way for NYC communities to speak up, embody their values, and be the change they want to see in their neighborhoods. This year, support for NY Sun Works hydroponic classrooms is on the ballot in multiple districts across the city, and we need your support in showing the need for quality climate education programs. While climate resiliency efforts have made great strides in New York over recent years, there is always more work to be done, which is why it’s so important that sustainability-minded city dwellers make their voices heard.
While effecting sustainable change is of vital importance, participatory budgeting also presents New Yorkers as young as 11 years old with the chance to get involved in real-life political activism. Initiatives like ours wouldn’t be possible without support from government officials at all levels, but the New York City Council has played a vital role in the rapid expansion of our climate education program. Through casting their vote, students take a stand for their right to a sustainable future, a skill that will serve them well in embodying the change they want to see, especially as they approach the legal voting age for general elections. It can also help instill them with the confidence to take a stance on controversial issues, form strong opinions, and participate in discussions surrounding topics that impact us all.
It takes a village to change the world, and New York City is much more than just a village. By combining our voices, New Yorkers can ensure our elected officials know that climate education matters. And what’s more, we can see to it that programs that align with our values receive the funding they need, while introducing the young climate leaders of tomorrow to the sustainability issues facing us today.
Blah
High School Students Prepare for Futures in Urban Agriculture
We believe New York City high school students are some of the luckiest young people in our country. With a host of iconic educational and professional institutions across a variety of fields and industries, the students of today have more avenues than ever to pursue and achieve goals that lie close to their hearts. However, it’s no secret that children and young adults from low-income communities are often excluded from these incredible opportunities. While technology and innovation have brought about fantastic change, this is one of the modern day’s great educational injustices. So what can we do to solve it?
Last year, we piloted our Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Program, which took 32 students from three NYC public schools in Brooklyn and Queens and equipped them with marketable career readiness skills and official certification in seed-to-harvest hydroponic farming. Our goal is to open new pathways for young climate leaders to enter a growing sector of the green economy. With funding from the US Department of Agriculture, and culminating in an exciting event hosted by NYC Mayor Eric Adams at Gracie Mansion, our program was a resounding success, and we are pleased to announce that this spring we’re continuing to offer professional certification and training opportunities for tomorrow’s urban agriculture leaders.
In January 2023, we were joined by eight eager elective classes of high school farmer scientists. During our new Controlled Environmental Agriculture elective, students are guided through hands-on studies and practical exams by their hydroponic classroom teachers, and supported by the expert Greenhouse Support Team at NY Sun Works. As a continuation of last year’s summer pilot, they’ll also have the opportunity to visit commercial hydroponic sites like Brooklyn Grange, as well as explore post-secondary education opportunities at community colleges such as LaGuardia Community College. Additionally, participants are invited to the inaugural CEA career and college networking event scheduled for May 24th at the Javits Center immediately following our annual Youth Conference, for professional networking opportunities.
We are incredibly proud of the work students have put into pursuing careers in urban CEA, as well as that of our Education Team who has innovated this new approach to education and professional development. This program is the first of its kind in the city, and as we continue to grow, we hope to also continually deliver quality STEM and climate education opportunities to students and young adults with the drive to tackle sustainability issues.
If you’re interested in bringing our CEA Elective Course to your school, or have any questions about it, please contact Education Specialist and Program Manager Hannah Luna.
Blah
PIX 11: US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Visits NY Sun Works Hydroponic Classroom, Sees Opportunities for Students
US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona made the rounds in New York City on Tuesday, touting investments for teachers and students, as schools get ready for the upcoming academic year. He toured schools in Queens and Brooklyn alongside Congress members Grace Meng and Nydia Velazquez.
Blah
RadioKingston: Hydroponic Farms in Schools and Holistic Health, Interview with Manuela Zamora
Celebrating Women’s Month, we met Bolivian immigrant Manuela Zamora, director of NY Sun Works, which aims to help change school classrooms and has started classes in NYC, where her children studied. This program is already present in more than 200 schools between New York City and some in the Hudson Valley.
Blah
Senators Schumer, Gillibrand, & US Dept. of Education Partner With NY Sun Works
NY Sun Works is honored to announce that we are the recipient of 2023 Congressionally Funded Community Project (CFCP) earmark funding, thanks to support from Senator and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Rep. Yvette Clarke, Rep. Ritchie Torres, and Minority Leader & Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Through this allocation, our representatives have reaffirmed their commitment to community building, environmental justice, and educational equity. We’re excited to bring 50 new hydroponic labs to schools in the South Bronx and Brooklyn and reach over 20,000 new students, empowering three congressional districts with new partnerships and opportunities for sustainability and climate science learning.
As we continue to expand our sustainability science program throughout the NY metro area, we depend on partners like Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to call attention to the need for additional resources and educational support in underserved communities across New York. From loud and proud leadership in the City Council to the House and the Senate, coordinating with leaders in the public realm is vital to our mission to systemically address localized inequities and channel resources toward neighborhoods and schools that need them most. Walking the walk is equally important as talking the talk, which is why factoring historic injustice into our approach is paramount to making effective change.
We would like to graciously thank Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for their generous support, and Representatives Jeffries, Clarke, and Torres for their efforts in securing this earmark funding on behalf of the young, future climate leaders of New York. This support from our elected officials helps ensure that we can meet the moment on climate change and help our young people secure the sustainable future they deserve.
